"Ann and Sakuno: Thirty Hugs"
Pairing: Ann Tachibana/Sakuno Ryuuzaki.
Rating: PG-13 for shoujoai/femslash
Disclaimer: Not Mine. Konomi's!
General summary: A collection of AnnxSakuno fics, written for the 30 Hugs LJ comm.
---
Part 2: An answer she couldn't give
30 Hugs theme used:13 (euthanasia)
---
How far would she go for her sake?
Sakuno Ryuuzaki isn't the type to take any kind of risks. Ann Tachibana knows it too well. But at the same time, Ann likes to toy with the idea of asking her girlfriend of sorts - what would she do for her? Besides, she's not the only person who wonders the same; Fuji had told her that he once asked both his siblings and his boyfriend, Tezuka, the exact same thing. Only that he never told her what they replied to him.
It is, in a sense, an issue about the power she could have on others. The ex-members of the Fudomine tennis team used to be, and still are, fiercely devoted to her older brother, who once was their savior. Kamio, Shinji, Sakurai, Ishida, Uchimura... all of them - years ago, they even lied to their captain because they didn't want him to be worried, after they were involved in a street accident just before the match against Yamabuki...
Ann has always asked herself if she could have that same influence on others. And the closest persons she has as a sort-of Guinea pigs are her girlfriend Sakuno and her best friend, Kamio andMomoshiro. Well, she knows that Momoshiro will think it's a joke and Kamio will avoid the subject,but Sakuno's the type of person who always takes things seriously...
Ann and Sakuno now attend the same all-girls high school - so, when not in their respective classes or in the tennis club (Sakuno is a freshman, Ann is a junior and already a regular), they like to study together in the library. They always use the same table, one that's placed right next to a big window and an enormous shelf full of art books; since it's a sort of solitary little corner, only the girls of the art clubs are hanging around, allowing both of them to have some privacy for chatting, whispering, and some giggling when in the mood.
One particular day, Ann makes up her mind and decides to ask. The chance is almost perfect: Sakuno is particularly distraught over an upcoming Moral Education test and her eyes are pretty much glued to her text book. Then, Ann pretends to be planning an essay she has to give to her World History teacher, writing up the drabble of it in a small notebook to later type it and print it in the school labs.
At one point, after around an hour of silence between both girls, Ann gets up and says something about going to the toilet. Sakuno nods quietly and continues reading, but some seconds later...
"Sakuno-san!".
Sakuno turns and sees Yoshino, a girl from her class, standing next to her. "Hmmmm?".
"Tachibana-sempai left a note for you on the table. Didn't you see it?".
"Oh, I didn't... Thank you, Yoshino-san".
The light blue paper sheet is carefully folded in front of her, and it even has a purple sticker as a sort of seal. After Yoshino picks up her art books and leaves, Sakuno looks around fearing that someone may be spying on her, and only then she carefully opens it, trying not to rip the sticker away.
The message written in dark blue ink is clear.
Sakuno:
From taking peeks at the part of the book that you're reading, I see that your Moral Education test is centered around the issues of death and how it's viewed in Japanese society. So, tell me...
If I were about to die, as well as unable to decide if I wanted to live or not, and my family gave you the choice...
Would you kill me, Sakuno, to give me the definitive freedom? Or would you choose to let me be an Eternally Sleeping Beauty?
Be honest, please. And no, I'm not joking. I'm dead serious.
Few minutes later, Ann returns to the library, rubbing her hands since they still feel somewhat cold. She walks nonchalantly towards "their" desk; Sakuno is there, still reading and apparently very concentrated...
Ann chooses not to talk to her, not wanting to disrupt her concentration. Then, the older girl notices a piece of white paper placed on her closed notebook, carefully folded and sealed with a Hello Kitty sticker.
Instead of sitting down to read the message, Ann grabs it and stands by the window, turning her back on Sakuno. She's not sue why she doesn't want to face the other girl...
And the reply, written in dark red ink, is this one:
Ann:
... I'm no one to take anybody's life away. And even less if it's yours. Even if it's just a question, I can't really reply.
I'm sorry, but please understand me...
The rest of the message is blurred by Sakuno's tears.
Ann turns slowly. Sakuno's hands are shaking a little as they grab the textbook, and her breath is unusually quick...
Then, as a way to apologize for asking such a thing, Ann sits by Sakuno and tenderly holds her, letting the sobbing girl lean against her.
